Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Kismet

I'll try anything to get my wrist back to what I would consider 'normal' . I realize that will take some time, my doctor and therapist say at least a year before even the swelling subsides completely and not even that is a guarantee. They've even said I might have swelling indefinitely and loss of range of motion.

Do I need to tell you that I will not accept that?

Meet Apparatus Number One:


You read right.

One.

Implying there will be at least Two.

One to gently bend my wrist left to right, the other to turn my palm up. God willing.


I just received it today and had it on only once. I have to wear it three times a day at 30 minute intervals. There's a dial that I have to turn to increase the pressure and range of motion. I didn't like the idea of it when I heard about it the first time and I loathed it even more from the second I saw it.

Why?

At the time, I had apparatus envy.

Another woman receiving physical therapy received her apparatus and it was significantly smaller and need I say, when speaking of apparatus, smaller is definitely better.

Sure we joked about it for a few weeks before her's arrived and when it did, I tried to convince her it wasn't hideous and that it would help, you know, all positive stuff like; thank God you don't have to wear that in public, no one will notice it, it looks great with that shirt.

And then . . .

I saw mine . . .


Well, ironically as kismet would have it, we saw it since said woman was also present when it arrived. Right away I could see the difference, and so could she. The communication that flurried between us - through our eyes, our breathing, and our shifting-in-our-seats body language was fast and furious.

My body language was saying "REALLY"? "Really"?

Her's was saying "Geez. Poor kid. Didn't see that coming".

We both smiled and laughed our resigned-to-change laughs and jumped in with both feet, or arms as it were. And, believe me, I realize that God truly has not brought me this far without His keen sense of humor. I get it. Oh, I really, really get it.

The kicker? Apparatus Number Two, that the woman had? It will be here in about three weeks. It's the other one I'll be using three times a day.

And when I'm through with them and they've served their purpose in my life, I will be fast and furiously donating them as the Sales Rep who fitted me suggested, all the while doing a celebratory, completely healed jig, bending and flexing my wrist.

Thank you apparatuses.

How hysterically funny is that?

4 comments:

Niall young said...

I can't believe it's been so long since I last paid a visit to your blog Maria...and you've broken your wrist.I'm so sorry for you...it must be so frustrating. I know because I had a clean break of both my ulnar and radius when I was a teenager (Twice!). It effects everything you do and changes you . It was my left arm I injured and I'm left handed...so I'm pretty much amibdextrous now appart from writing and drawing.

Take care...

Lisa Sargese said...

God has wrought a might work in you Maria! He must have incredible plans for you to give you such such....a frikken apparatus! Dang, girl! Hey, your future clients thank you in advance for going through all this so you can become their healer. Holy apparat-y Batman!

sandra said...

thank you for sharing. my cast comes off the 28th and i broke my non dominant wrist. so far no surgery ; thanks to the internet i'm finding people like you to commune with. so far everyone is telling me to squeeze balls while the cast is on but you know how that is; I've been so tired , but still working, and my system(biological) is so dry; do you know what that is about? wishing you the best and i want to be strong as you on loosing this cast.

Maria Lynn Gattuso said...

Hi Sandra...thank you so much for reaching out to me. I'm sorry to hear you also broke your wrist. The great news is that it will heal and you can get a lot of your range of motion back with therapy, hard work and determination. As for your system being dry...keep hydrated. Not sure what that's about. Feel free to touch base with me at mangalito@msn.com and please get some rest and feel better!! Blessings and Light,
Maria